Trump Expects His Iran War To Last ‘Four Weeks or So’

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Trump Expects His Iran War To Last ‘Four Weeks or So’

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) President Trump said in an interview with the Daily Mail on Sunday that he expects his new war with Iran to last “four weeks or so” as US and Israeli strikes continue to pound Iran and Iranian missiles and drones continue to make an impact in Israel and target US bases in the region.

“It’s always been a four-week process. We figured it will be four weeks or so. It’s always been about a four-week process, so – as strong as it is, it’s a big country, it’ll take four weeks – or less,” the president said.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the US is racing to deplete Iran’s ability to fire missiles and drones before its stockpiles of interceptors run out. The US military used an enormous number of THAAD, Patriot, and SM-3 interceptors defending Israel and its base in Qatar during the 12-Day War, and is now using many more in the current war.

President Trump oversees the US attacks on Iran at Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, FL, Feb. 28, 2026. (White House photo by Daniel Torok)

Trump also addressed the three US troops who were killed by an Iranian attack on a US base in Kuwait, the first US deaths acknowledged by US Central Command. “They’re great people. And, you know, we expect that to happen, unfortunately. Could happen continuous – it could happen again,” he said.

The president also said that he expects more Americans to be killed in a short video statement he released later in the day. “And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is,” he said.

According to the Daily Mail, Trump “acknowledged that the three casualties were the first in his second term” because no Americans were killed during the attack on Venezuela, but two US National Guard soldiers and an American civilian interpreter were killed by a member of Syria’s security forces in an attack in Palmyra, Syria, in December.

So far, the president has not delivered a lengthy address to the American people about the war and hasn’t held a press briefing. Senior Trump administration officials were also notably absent from Sunday news shows, as they are likely afraid to answer questions about the rationale for starting the war since they have made blatantly false or unproven claims to justify the attack.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

Trump: Nine Iranian Ships Destroyed; Iran Wants to Talk

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Trump: Nine Iranian Ships Destroyed; Iran Wants to Talk

(, The Center Square) Nine Iranian ships have been “destroyed and sunk” by U.S. forces as part of Operation Epic Fury, according to President Donald Trump.

The president’s announcement comes as the joint coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes enter their second day.

“I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large and important. We are going after the rest — They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also! In a different attack, we largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters. Other than that, their Navy is doing very well!” Trump wrote in the Truth Social post.

In addition, U.S. Central Command said that American B-2 stealth bombers “armed with 2,000 lb. bombs, struck Iran’s hardened ballistic missile facilities.”

The targeting of Iranian military assets comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces were “striking at the heart of Tehran with intensifying force, and this will only grow stronger in the coming days.”

Trump issued a message to Iran overnight, warning the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps not to escalate the situation further.

“Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before. THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!” Trump posted to his Truth Social account.

CENTCOM announced Sunday morning that U.S. forces sustained their first casualties, with three service members killed in action as a result of the strikes. Five have been seriously injured.

Trump told The Atlantic in an interview Sunday morning that Iranian officials want to talk.

“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long,” the president told the publication.

It is unclear with whom officials Trump would be speaking following confirmation from the president and Israeli officials that nearly 50 of Iran’s top leadership have been eliminated, including their Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

DOJ Files: Jeffrey Epstein Brokered Secret Meeting Between Israel and Qatar

Jose Nino
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DOJ Files: Jeffrey Epstein Brokered Secret Meeting Between Israel and Qatar

(Jose Nino, Headline USA) ​​Released Justice Department documents reveal Jeffrey Epstein pressured Qatar to recognize Israel during the 2017 Gulf blockade as a way to gain favor with President Trump, according to Reuters. 

During the 2017 to 2021 blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, Epstein inserted himself into the Gulf crisis by exchanging messages with Sheikh Jabor Yousuf Jassim Al Thani, a Qatari businessman and member of the ruling family. In those exchanges, Epstein urged Qatar to normalize ties with Israel.

The most striking email, dated July 9, 2017, reads “If the people would allow your country to recognize Israel. ,could be interesting to discuss. If not maybe consider putting 1 billion into a fund to benefit the victims of terrorist acts. asking the other gcc members to match it,” as the Middle East Eye reported. 

Epstein used India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a model for Qatar, writing “The Indian Prime Minister Modi took advice. and danced and sang in Israel for the benefit of the US president. they had met a few weeks ago.. IT WORKED.!”

Epstein dismissed Qatar’s leadership, calling the team “very weak” and the foreign minister “not experienced,” and urged Doha to stop “kicking and arguing” and let tensions cool. Qatar’s then foreign minister was Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who now serves as both prime minister and foreign minister. He has not commented publicly on these characterizations.

Beyond the Qatar push, the files reveal Epstein conducted extensive track two diplomacy in the region. He brokered a meeting between former Israeli PM Ehud Barak and former Qatari PM Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani in December 2018 at One Hyde Park in London. Barak later thanked HBJ for the meeting in an email copied to Epstein.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used the revelations to attack political rival Ehud Barak, writing on X “Jeffrey Epstein’s unusual close relationship with Ehud Barak doesn’t suggest Epstein worked for Israel. It proves the opposite.” He accused Barak of “obsessively attempting to undermine Israeli democracy by working with the anti-Zionist radical left.”

The most concrete consequence as a result of the Epstein files release in the Middle East has been corporate. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, CEO of Dubai port giant DP World, resigned after his name appeared in the files alongside exchanges with Epstein. British International Investment and Canada’s Caisse de dépôt pension fund suspended all new investment with DP World over the revelations, per a report by The Palestine Chronicle.

Qatar never followed Epstein’s advice. It maintained its independent course throughout the blockade, and the blockading countries restored relations with Doha in 2021. 

Feds Indict Trans-Identifying Suspect for Threatening to Kill Trump

Luis Cornelio
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Feds Indict Trans-Identifying Suspect for Threatening to Kill Trump

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A transgender-identifying individual is facing a federal grand jury indictment over accusations he threatened to kill President Donald Trump in a series of social media posts. 

According to court records reviewed by Headline USA, a Washington state grand jury indicted the 20-year-old suspect — Phillip Richard Wharton, also known as “Sadie Wharton” — on Feb. 25 on two counts of threatening a federal official. 

Court records show a probable cause complaint was signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michelle L. Peterson on Nov. 7, 2025. It isn’t immediately clear if Wharton was arrested at the time. A federal grand jury later returned the indictment on Feb. 25 

The first count pertains to a post on X in which Wharton allegedly wrote: “What the guy in the White House sees after I kill the US PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND WEAR HIS FACE AS A MASK.” 

The second count involves a September 2025 post in which Wharton also allegedly threatened to murder Trump. 

“My name is Sadie Online. I am going to kill the president tomorrow,” Wharton wrote, according to the indictment. “This is not a joke, but a confession admissible in a court of law.” 

Wharton is represented by public defender Adriane Manigo. 

The indictment marks the newest alleged act of violence involving a transgender-identified suspect and the latest indictable threat against President Donald Trump. 

He survived a narrow assassination attempt on July 13 and later another plot involving Ryan Routh, who was sentenced to life in prison. 

The case began after the United States Capitol Police referred the matter to the United States Secret Service. 

The next court date is scheduled for March 5 at 9 a.m. 

Report: Austin Mass Shooter Wore ‘Property of Allah’ Clothing and Iranian Flag Emblem

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Report: Austin Mass Shooter Wore ‘Property of Allah’ Clothing and Iranian Flag Emblem

(Headline USA) The gunman who killed two people at a bar in Texas early Sunday in a mass shooting that left 14 others wounded was wearing a sweatshirt that said “Property of Allah,” and another shirt with an Iranian flag design, according to The Associated Press.

The shooter has been identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, a law enforcement official and another person familiar with the matter reportedly said.

Diagne is originally from Senegal, according to multiple people briefed on the investigation. One of the people reportedly said that Diagne came to the U.S. in 2006 and was a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Officers in Austin shot and killed the gunman, who used both a pistol and a rifle to carry out the attack, police said. The FBI said the shooting was being investigated as a potential act of terrorism.

The suspect drove past the bar several times before stopping and shooting a pistol out the window of his SUV at people on a patio and in front of the bar, said Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.

The gunman then parked the vehicle, got out with a rifle, and began shooting at people walking in the area before officers who rushed to the intersection shot him, Davis said.

There have been at least two other high-profile shootings in Austin’s Sixth Street entertainment district within the past five years, including one in the summer of 2021 that left 14 people wounded. Although this weekend’s shooting doesn’t meet the definition of a mass killing, there have been five of those so far this year.

The FBI is investigating whether the shooting early Sunday was act of terrorism because of “indicators” found on the gunman and in his vehicle, said Alex Doran, the acting agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office.

“It’s still too early to make a determination on that,” Doran said.

The shooting happened outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden just before 2 a.m. along Sixth Street, a nightlife destination filled with bars and music clubs and only a few miles from the University of Texas.

The school’s president said on social media that some of those impacted included “members of our Longhorn family.”

“Our prayers are with the victims and all those impacted,” said university President Jim Davis.

The entertainment district has a heavy police presence on weekends, and officers were able to confront the gunman within a minute of the first call for help, Davis said.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson praised the fast response by police and rescuers.

“They definitely saved lives,” he said.

One of the victims was found in the street between two parked cars. Inside the multi-story bar, there were overturned tables and drinks left behind by fleeing customers.

Another shooting early Sunday at a Cincinnati nightclub and concert venue wounded nine people, police in Ohio said.

All nine had gunshot wounds, but none were non-life threatening, said Adam Hennie, the city’s interim police chief.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.

Iran Closes the Strait of Hormuz

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Iran Closes the Strait of Hormuz

(, The Center Square) One of the major global maritime passageways for oil transport, the Strait of Hormuz, has been closed, according to multiple reports.

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, has reportedly been receiving VHF transmissions from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard instructing that no ships are allowed to pass through the strait.

The reports come as the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration has issued an alert to vessels in the region, urging them to “keep clear of this area if possible,” citing “significant military activity.”

“Any U.S.-flagged, owned, or crewed commercial vessels that are operating these areas should maintain a standoff of 30 nautical miles from U.S. military vessels to reduce the risk of being mistaken as a threat and are strongly encouraged to maintain close contact with Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) Naval Coordination and Guidance for Shipping,” according to DOT.

Iran has been targeting Arab countries along the Persian Gulf, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in response to U.S. strikes inside of Iran early Saturday.

The reported closure comes on the heels of Operation Epic Fury, joint coordinated strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iran.

3 U.S. Armed Servicemen Killed So Far as Iran Vows Revenge

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3 U.S. Armed Servicemen Killed So Far as Iran Vows Revenge

(Headline USA) Three U.S. service members have died, and five more have been seriously wounded, in the early stages of the U.S./Israel war against Iran.

U.S. Central Command announced the casualties Sunday morning, adding that several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions, and are in the process of being returned to duty.

“The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified,” CENTCOM said on Twitter/X.

The casualties come on the heels of Iran vowing revenge Sunday after the killing of its supreme leader and traded strikes with Israel as part of a widening war prompted by a surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment a day earlier.

Blasts in Tehran sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky in an area where there are government buildings. Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have been killed since the start of the U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior leaders. Earlier, Iran fired missiles at an ever-widening list of targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states in retaliation while Israel pledged “non-stop” strikes against Iran’s leaders and military.

In Israel, loud explosions caused by missile impacts or interceptions could be heard in Tel Aviv. Israel’s rescue services said eight people were killed and 28 wounded in a strike that hit a synagogue in the central town of Beit Shemesh, bringing the overall death toll in the country to 10.

Meanwhile, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a prerecorded message aired on state television that a new leadership council had begun its work, and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a new supreme leader would be chosen in “one or two days.”

The strikes and counterattacks underscored how the killing of Khamenei, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls for the overthrow of the decades-old Islamic Republic, carried the potential for a prolonged conflict that could envelop the Middle East.

It’s the second time in eight months that the U.S. and Israel have teamed up to use military force against Iran, and a startling show of military might for an American president who swept into office on an “America First” platform and vowed to keep out of “forever wars.”

In the 12-day war in June, Israeli and American strikes greatly weakened Iran’s air defenses, military leadership and nuclear program. But the killing of Khamenei, who had ruled Iran for more than three decades, creates a leadership vacuum, increasing the risk of regional instability.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.

Average Joe? Gov. Newsom Once Complained His Porsche Wasn’t New Enough 

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Average Joe? Gov. Newsom Once Complained His Porsche Wasn’t New Enough 

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) California Governor Gavin Newsom has recently intensified his campaign to portray himself as just an average Joe. But his new book and recent reporting have once again revealed a very different reality. 

Critics on X took noticed of a passage in Newsom’s book Young Man in a Hurry, where Newsom wrote that his father, the powerful late judge William Newsom, promised him a new car if he never smoked. 

Instead, Newsom wrote in the book that he received a “used” car on lease. What Newsom appeared to have omitted was that the “used” vehicle was a Porsche. 

“He once said if I never took up the habit of smoking, he would buy me a new car when I turned sixteen. He even wrote down the promise on a business card I kept,” Newsom reportedly wrote. “I never smoked, but he never came through with the new car, though he did make good on a lease for a used one that I drove to college.” 

One of the critics on X was RealClear journalist Susan Crabtree, who noted that Newsom drove a Porsche around campus and wore a Rolex, citing sources who confirmed the details. 

She also previously reported that one former Santa Clara University baseball player’s only memory of Newsom was losing his Rolex outside the dugout. 

Crabtree pressed for records from Newsom’s college years through Izzy Gardon, the governor’s taxpayer-funded communications director.  

In response, Gardon claimed the Porsche and other related questions “belong in the same category as alien-abduction theories.” Headline USA separately reached out to Gardon for clarification.

Notably, Crabtree and Gardon recently clashed after Crabtree requested evidence of a dyslexia diagnosis. Gardon responded with a vulgar remark, saying, “Respectfully, f**k off.”

Headline USA reached out to determine whether Newsom’s leadership had approved the comment. Gardon instead told this outlet the remark had been approved by Crabtree’s “mother.”

Newsom’s upbringing has become a point of controversy, especially as he positions himself as a potential candidate for president in 2028. In his new book, he described a dual lifestyle.

He proclaimed he grew up with a mother who seemingly struggled to raise him and his two siblings as a single parent, alongside access to wealth through his father’s friendship with the Getty family. 

“I’m not trying to be something I’m not,” Newsom claimed in a recent interview, as quoted by Los Angeles Times. “I’m not trying to talk about, you know, ‘I was born in a town called Hope with no running water.’ That’s not what this book is about. But it’s a very different portrayal than the one I think 9 out of 10 people believe.” 

3 dead, 14 Injured from Mass Shooting in Austin, Texas

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3 dead, 14 Injured from Mass Shooting in Austin, Texas

(Headline USA) Authorities say three people were killed and 14 others were wounded after a mass shooting at a bar in Austin, Texas.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a press conference early Sunday that police received a call for reports of a “male shooting” at Buford’s, a popular beer garden in the city’s entertainment district.

When police arrived at the scene, they confronted a man with a gun and then “returned fire, killing the suspect,” Davis said.

EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said three people were found dead at the scene and 14 people were injured and transported to hospitals. Of those injured, three were in critical condition.

“We received a call at 1:39 a.m. and within 57 seconds, the first paramedics and officers were on scene actively treating the patients,” Luckritz said.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson praised the rapid response by police and rescuers.

“They definitely saved lives,” Watson said.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.

9 Killed as Protesters Try to Storm US Consulate in Pakistan

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9 Killed as Protesters Try to Storm US Consulate in Pakistan

(Headline USA) Violent clashes between protesters and security forces in the Pakistani port city of Karachi left at least nine people killed and more than 50 others wounded on Sunday, after hundreds of demonstrators attempted to storm the U.S. Consulate, authorities said.

The violence came hours after the United States and Israel attacked Iran and killed the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Police and officials at a hospital in Karachi said that at least 25 people were also wounded in the clashes and some of them were in critical condition.

Summaiya Syed Tariq, a police surgeon at the city’s main government hospital, confirmed that initially six bodies and multiple injured people were brought to the facility. However, she said the death toll rose to nine after three critically wounded people died.

US monitoring protests

The U.S. Embassy in Pakistan wrote on X that it was monitoring reports of ongoing demonstrations at the U.S. Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, as well as calls for additional protests at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the Consulate General in Peshawar. It advised U.S. citizens in Pakistan to monitor local news, stay aware of their surroundings, avoid large crowds and keep their travel registration with the U.S. government up to date.

Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province, and Pakistan’s largest city.

Senior police official Irfan Baloch said that protesters briefly attacked the perimeter of the U.S. Consulate, but were later dispersed. He dismissed as baseless reports that any part of the consulate building was set on fire. However, he said that protesters torched a nearby police post and smashed windows of the consulate before security forces arrived and regained control.

Witnesses said that dozens of Shiite protesters remained gathered about a half-mile from the consulate, urging others to join them. They said one of the protesters had tried to burn a window of the consulate, before security forces arrived there and dispersed the demonstrators.

Appeal for calm

The clashes prompted Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to issue an appeal for calm.

“Following the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, every citizen of Pakistan shares in the grief of the people of Iran,” Naqvi said in a statement.

He described it as “a day of mourning for the Muslim Ummah and for the people of both Iran and Pakistan,” but urged people not to take the law into their own hands and to express their protests peacefully.

The provincial government of Sindh in a statement also urged citizens to express their views peacefully and warned against engaging in violence.

Protests in the area surrounding the U.S. Consulate in Karachi went on for hours, with dozens of Shiite youth, some covering their faces, throwing stones at law enforcement officials and vowing to reach the consulate, where hundreds of police and paramilitary Rangers have been deployed.

Unrest expands

In Islamabad, police fired tear gas and swung batons as hundreds of Shiite protesters, angered by the killing of Khamenei, tried to march toward the U.S. Embassy. The clashes took place outside the Diplomatic Enclave, where the embassy is located and additional police had been deployed.

Meanwhile, in the northwestern city of Peshawar, authorities also used tear gas and batons to disperse thousands of demonstrators attempting to approach the U.S. Consulate to hold a rally to denounce the killing of the Iranian leader, police said.

Shiites also held a peaceful rally in Multan, a city in Punjab province, chanting slogans against Israel and the United States. Mamoona Sherazi, who attended the rally, said that she was protesting Khamenei’s killing. She described him as a fatherly figure and a strong voice for Shiites, adding that he also supported Sunni Muslims facing oppression. “God willing, we will never bow before America and Israel,” she said.

Shiites also held a rally and clashes with police repeatedly near the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province, police said. Rallies against Israel and the United States were also planned in northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. Authorities said that the government has stepped up security around the U.S. Embassy in the capital, and consulates across the country to avoid any further violence.

Shiites make up roughly 15% of Pakistan’s population of about 250 million and represent one of the largest Shiite communities in the world. They have frequently staged anti-Israel and anti-U.S. rallies in the past, though clashes of this scale are rare.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.
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